


The Brass Lamp

by Leela



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-07
Updated: 2011-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-22 08:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/236311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leela/pseuds/Leela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xeno sends them a housewarming gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Brass Lamp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lmeden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmeden/gifts).



> **Beta** : batdina  
>  **A/N** : A much belated birthday ficlet for lmeden, who requested Hermione/Luna with a prompt of 'brass lamp'.

The lamp arrived in a plain brown box. It was on their kitchen table when Hermione came home from work, Luna sitting in full lotus position on the table next to it, a stack of books at her other side. The soles of her bare feet were turned up so that Hermione could see the reddish-brown henna patterns that decorated them. A series of animals that only existed in Luna's imagination streamed from the end of her wand and danced through the air above her.

"Daddy sent us a housewarming gift," Luna said, which didn't alleviate any of Hermione's concern.

"Did you—" Hermione cut herself off. The last time she'd said something about not trusting Xeno, Luna hadn't talked to her for a week.

"It's perfectly safe." Luna swished her wand and bubbles began swirling through the animals. "The beasties tell me so," she added in a singsong voice that matched the rhythm of the bubbles popping.

Luna made a face and stuck her tongue out at Hermione. Despite herself, Hermione giggled.

"You're mad," Hermione said.

"As that crazy hatter." Luna nodded gravely. The animals and bubbles piled over her head and created an image from the movie they'd watched the previous week.

Another giggle burst out of Hermione. To give herself time to think, she took off her coat and sent it skimming over towards the back door. One of the hooks caught it, shook it out, and held on to it. Then she picked up the kettle and filled it at the sink.

Tea wasn't the same when made with magic, Hermione had decided, no matter what Molly said. The ritual of heating the kettle, scalding the pot, and steeping the leaves for the correct amount of time was relaxing in a way that neither wizarding magic nor Muggle technology could duplicate. And it gave her time to think and for her curiosity about what could be in that box to rise.

"Daddy would never hurt us." Luna slipped her hands around Hermione's waist and moulded herself against Hermione's back, pressing her into the rim around the sink.

The touch of Luna's lips on her nape sent goosebumps racing down Hermione's spine and drew a sigh from her. It also shattered the logical argument that she'd started building. "He'd never hurt you," she said, because she couldn't let it go that easily. "I don't think he's forgiven me yet for taking Neville's place."

When the kettle was back on the hob, Luna said, "The present is for both of us," as if that were the answer to Hermione's well-founded doubts.

Hermione was about to mention Xeno's vicious and very public diatribe on disrespectful witches who Obliviated and exiled their parents, but shook her head instead. Luna hadn't forgotten, she was sure, so what was the point of bringing it up? She wasn't a child any longer to find pleasure in showing off how good her memory was.

"He'll never do anything like that again." Luna's breath was soft against Hermione's skin.

Turning around in Luna's arms, Hermione rested her forehead against Luna's. There wasn't any point in lashing Luna with the viciousness of her own hurt, she told herself as she'd done so many times before. She knew without a doubt that Xeno would have treated Neville just as badly — anyone, in fact, who usurped his place in Luna's life.

A sick kind of sympathy rose in Hermione, and she pulled Luna into a tight hug. She understood exactly why Xeno felt that way, which only made it all that much worse.

Luna hugged her back and laughed, a tinkling dreamy sound that made desire twist through Hermione. "You'll see," she said and kissed the tip of Hermione's nose.

As she always did, Hermione scrunched her nose, and Luna laughed again. They separated, Luna to return to the table and Hermione to get mugs out of the cupboard.

"Presents before tea." Luna reminded Hermione of Victoire at her last birthday party as she twirled and pranced her way over to the table, her skirt swirling around her bare legs, waving her wand and once again filling the room with streams of multi-coloured bubbles and animals.

"All right."

Hermione went to stand next to Luna, who swished her wand in an elaborate figure and murmured a nonsense word that was definitely not in any language Hermione knew.

The lid of the box rose up, hovering for a moment before dropping to the table. All four sides fell flat to reveal an antique brass oil lamp. It had a curved trunk for a spout, a round-bellied fuel chamber, and a pair of crumpled-looking horns that joined to become a handle. It was decorated with geometric patterns made from lines and coloured dots.

It looked very strange, very ugly, and very familiar.

Hermione's hand trembled as she reached for the lamp. She caressed it and clutched it to her chest.

In a bird-like gesture, Luna tilted her head one way and then the other. "It's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"It's my great-great-grandmother's lamp."

"It's magical."

"No, it can't—" Hermione held the lamp out and looked at it. What she'd taken for geometric patterns actually looked like a series of stylised runes. She blinked, and her mind began to race, translating the runes, interpreting them, finding the protective spells wound into them and around the lamp. "How is that possible?"

Luna smiled the private smile that she'd never offered to anyone but Hermione. "You're magical, of course, silly."


End file.
